Method of making heat exchangers



Feb. 18, 1947. I H. T, BOOTH 2,415,865

METHOD OF MAKING HEAT EXCHANGERS Filed Jan. 19. 1943 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 18, 1947. H. T. BOOTH 2,415,865

METHOD OF MAKING HEAT EXCHANGERS Filed Jan. 19, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet s H 27 B T/ mvsmoa ATTORNEY,

Feb. 18, 1947. H. 'r. Boo'rH 2,415,865

METHOD OF MAKING HEAT EXCHANGERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 19, 1943 Harry mvmg'oa.

' v ATTORNEY.

Feb. 18, 1947. H. T. BOOTH METHOD OF MAKING HEAT E XCHANGERS Filed Jan. 19, 19 15 5 Sheetssheet 5 Harry T500) INVENTOR.

of completing the manufacture of the cooler.

Patented Feb. 18,1947 I U UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING HEAT EXCHANGERS Harry T. Booth, Glencoe, Ill.,assignor to United Aircraft Products, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 19, 1943, Serial No. 472,885

be readily apparent that the invention is not speg cifically so limited.

The'primary object of this invention is to provide for the more expeditious manufacture of heat exchangers or coolers by increasing the ease, facility, and decreasing the time required, in assemblage, and'to also provide a method of pro-. ducing heat exchangers which assures uniform and standard construction.

The invention further aims to provide a method of making heat exchangers or coolers wherein a series of units or sub-assemblies each composed of a series of tubes can-be stacked and positively held to size in a fixture and then soldered or connected, prior to placement in the shell, or'the units or sub-assemblies can be stacked in the shell itself and with the latter dipped in solder in the final step of completing the manufacture of the cooler.

The invention further aims to provide a method of making heat exchangers wherein a series of units or sub-assemblies each composed of preconnected rows of pre-connected tubes and/or bailies can be stacked and positively held to size in a fixture and then. soldered or connected, prior to placement in the shell, or the units or sub-assemblies can be stacked in the shell itself and with the latter dipped in solder in the final step Still further the invention aims toprovide a method of making heat exchangers or coolers wherein by pro-connecting the tubes into units or sub-assemblies, such units or sub-assemblies can individually be easily and quickly tested for gaps or leaks before final assemblage and soldering. or completion of the heat exchanger, thus avoiding the necessity of diflicult removal and replace- .ment-of one or more of the individual tubes upon testing of a completed heat exchanger, under the old or' former practice after, completion of the heat exchanger, and a defective tube or tubes found. I

Still further the invention aims to provide a method of making heat exchangers or coolers in which'the bafiles are pre-connected to adjacent rows of pro-connected tubes so as to'elimlnate shifting of the baille with respect to said adjacent rows during final assemblage. Still further the invention aims to provide more effective securement of the tubes to each other prior to the final dipping step, and by and in the latter .to definitely assure of the sealing, of any gaps which might possibly occur between the tubes and the fillers in stacking, and likewise the baffles.

The invention also aims to overcome the objection of the customary practice in the prior art of individual loose placement of the tubes in the jig or fixture in assemblage, and which unless great care and time is expended often results in the tubes and fillers being inaccurately related or positioned or displaced during stacking, and a defective cooler consequently produced.

The invention also aims to provide baffles which are preformed to conform to the shape of the tube ends and which therefore eliminate the use of fillers between the ends of the baffles in applying and securing the latter in position.

Theinvention has still further and other objects which will be later set forth and of themselves manifested in the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away I of one of the heat exchanger or cooler tubes;

Figure 2 is alike view of one of the filler tubes; Figure 3 is an end elevation of the lowermost unit or sub-assembly, in its assembled form;

Figure-4 is a section on line t-t, Figure 5; Figure 5 is a top plan view of one of the baflie plates; p

Figure 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of a quadrant of the completed heat exchanger or cooler;

Figure '7 is a perspective view showing the method of stacking the units or sub-assemblies and fillers;

Figure 8 is alike view showing the units in the course of stacking in the shell; 1

Figure 9 is a similar view of the assembling device for the tubes by'means of which same are grouped and held prior to soldering, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger or oil cooler showing'the baffles and a 'fraction of the tubes in final assemblage.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, a series of tubes I, with conventional hexagonal or other shaped ends 2, are assembled in series. as depicted in Figures 3, 7 and 8 by means of one typeof an assembling device or implement (Fig. 9) shaped to grasp and maintain a series of individual tubes in the formof their final assemblage such implement also compenfsating for variations in tube spacing resulting from any defects in manufacture. However, the

method herein contemplates-the automatic as blies, by means of a soldering machine or the like, not shown, and which, per se, forms no part of the present invention. The individual tubes are then soldered to each other to constitute a unit or sub-assembly, or in other words, a connected row of tubes, the number of which is predetermined by the size or diameter which the cooler is to possess and the loci thereof in the completed heat exchanger or cooler.

The assembly device or implement above mentioned is depicted in Figure 9, and embodies members 30 and 3|, hingedly connected to each other at one end, as shown at 32, and releasably secured' together at their opposite ends by means of a conventional form of clamp 33. The ,member 3!! has the upper faces of its sides configuredas depicted at 30' so as to hold the portions of the tubes intermediate the hexagonal ends 2 thereof in predetermined spaced relation, so that the intermediate portions of the tubes are held in uniform spaced relation. The member 3| is provided with pressure bars 34, tensioned by springs 35,

which cushion the action of the. member 3i against the tubes in alining or properly positioning same so as to accurately and firmly hold the intermediate portions of the tubes during soldering. The members 34 are inset to leave the outer ends of the tubes free for soldering.

In the instance of the row of tubes at the diameter of the heat exchanger or cooler, same is con-.

stituted oi the greatest number of tubes; the number of tubes in the rows decreasing as the upper and lower arcs of the cooler are approached, or otherwise stated, the rows of connected tubes vary in length as is evidenced in Flgurefi of the drawings. It is to be understood that the upper half of the heat exchanger or cooler is substantially the same as the lower half, a quadrant of the latter being shown in Figure 6. In actual practice, a number of each of the connected rows forming units or tubes or subassemblies of varying width is maintained in stock. Thus in the illustrated embodiment of the invention in Figure 6, fourteen connected rows of tubes each row forming a unit or sub-assembly of different width are kept in stock, and of course in different compartments or otherwisemaintained in separate piles so as to be readily distinguishable from one another. Then, filler tubes or members as indicated at 3 to 24 both inclusive, are employed and which in certain instances, are solid and in others of hollow formation, as depicted in Figure 6; Figure 2 illustrating one of the fillers as of hollow or tubular formation. These fillers likewise are kept in different compartments, or otherwise maintained in separate piles so as to be readily distinguishable from one anothen'this being likewise true of the baflie plates 25, the latter as depicted in Figure 5 each being provided with spaced openings 26.

To form units or sub-assemblies the tubes arethen placed in the assembly device oi Figure 9,

posed oi the connected tubes, depicted in Figure 3, is placed in a Jig or fixture, at the bottom thereof, following which succeeding units or subassemblies, likewise having their tubes all in connected relation as shown in Figure 6, are stacked as therein shown, until a predetermined number is reached, whereupon a baffle plate 25 is superimposed on the uppermost unitof said number. The foregoing operation is continued until the required number of units or sub-assemblies are placed in the Jig.

The ends 21 of the baflle are in the instance of the intermediate one of Figure 6 fitted between the fillers 1 and 8 and in the instance of the others bent as shown in Figure 6, at 28, to engage the adjacent faces of the tubes. The same procedure is then repeated until completion of the assemblage in thejig. The assemblage is then removed from the jig and placed in the shell S, whereupon the necessary number of fillers are inserted to fill the remaining spaces and to wedge the sub-assemblies therein. Finally, the assemblage including the shell S has its ends dipped into a, solder bath. In the instance of Figure 8, however, direct stacking of the units and the fillers in theshell S eliminates the use of a fixture or jig. The shell and core thus can be dipped together as a unit, which eliminates soldering by use of a torch.

By virtue of the present-invention, it will be apparent that greater speed and accuracy is had in assemblage, and that displacement of the tubes, as heretofore, where individually stacked, is substantially eliminated; in addition to assuring a uniform and standard construction.

Also, the pre-testing of the units or sub-assemblies of the tubes preceding completion of the heat exchanger 0r cooler i highly important; and is distinguished from the prior practice where the heat exchanger or cooler is only tested after completion, and in the latter instance, should a defect be discovered, and removal of the defective parts required, a laborious and time-consuming procedure, is thereby eliminated by the present invention.

, It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as only one example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangementof parts may be resorted to without depart ing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subioined claims.

and connected by soldering, or the like So thata 5 series of units or sub-assemblies is provided, pos- 'sessing different characteristics as to the number of tubes used. Then the units or sub-assemblies may be individually tested for flows, gaps or other defects.

The baffles, as shown in Figures 4 and 6 are corrugated or of undulating contour so as to coniormably engage the adjacent faces of the hexagonal ends 2 oi the tube vI, as clearly shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

In assembly, the unit or sub-assembly .com-

What is claimed is:

l. The method of making a heat exchanger wherein a'plurality of tubular members having enlarged ends, and through and around which a coolant medium and fluid to be cooled respectivelyfiow, and a plurality of tube separating baflies are stacked in superposed relation in a retaining shell, which consists in producing a plurality of sub-assemblies of the tubes, such subassemblies of tubes being of widths to fit within predetermined widths of the area defined by the retaining shell but of less thickness than the height of the area defined by the retaining shell, stacking the sub-assemblies of tubes and separating'bafiies in superposed relation to provide a bundle of tubes and baffles substantially corresponding to the area of the retaining shell; inserting the stacked sub-assemblies and baflles.

in the retaining shell, and then securing the sub-assemblies, the battles, and the retaining shell together to form an integral whole.

2. The method of making a heat exchanger wherein a plurality of tubular members having enlarged ,ends, and through and around which a coolant medium and fluid to be cooled respectively flow, are stacked in superposed relation in a retaining shell, which consists in producing a plurality of sub-assemblies of the tubes, such sub-assemblies of tubes being of widths to fit within predetermined widths of the area defined by the retaining shell but of less thickness than the height of the area defined by the retaining shell, testing the sub-assemblies for leakage through the individual tube walls,

stacking the sub-assemblies of tubes in superposed relation to provide a bundle of tubes substantially corresponding to the area of the retaining shell, inserting the stacked sub-assemblies in the retaining shell, and then securing the sub-assemblies and the retaining shell together to form-an integral whole. a

3. The method of making aheat exchanger wherein a plurality of tubular members having enlarged ends, and through and around which (f-retaining "shell, which consists in producing a plurality of sub-assemblies ofthe tubes, such sub-assemblies of tubes being of widths to' fit within predetermined widths of the area de fined by the retaining shell but of less thickness than the height of the area defined by the retaining shells testing the sub-assemblies for leakage through the individual tube walls, stacking the sub-assemblies of tubes in superposed relation to provide a bundle of tubes substantially corresponding to the area of the retaining shell, inserting the stacked sub-assemblies in the retaining shell, filling openings between the bundle of Number Name Date 2,153,806 Karmazin Apr. 11, 1939 2,204,614 Nelson et al. June 18, 1940 2,298,895 1 McKibben et al. Oct. 13, 1942 2,304,789 Bailey Dec. 15, 1942 2,147,719. Simons Feb. 21, 1939 1,864,052 Dykeman et al June 21, 1932 1,745,978 Cahill .Feb. 4, 1930 2,147,719 Simons Feb. 21, 1939 2,007,000. Oakey July 2, 1935 2,270,864 ,Blais Jan. 27, 1942 1,368,220 Fedders Feb. 8, 1921 2,273,736 Raymond et a1 Feb. 17, 1942 2,268,369 Askin Dec. 30," 1941 2,001,663 Carlson May 14, 1935 r 2,101,782 Kuhner Dec. 7, 1937 2,223,662 Lear Dec. 3, 1940 2,313,315 Blais Mar. 9, 1943 2,191,631 Shutts et al- Feb. 27, 1940 1,776,726 'Gross Sept. 23, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 540,060 British Oct. 3, 1941 6 I J tubes and the retaining shell with suitable fillers. and then securing the sub-assemblies and the retaining shell together to form an integral whole. v

- HARRY T. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS 

